An Inspired Recipe for Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Banana Topping

My stance is that the new year calls for a delightful dessert. During a month typically filled with gloomy days, a little sweetness can lift spirits. Granted, I'm not after decadent, heavy desserts, but a dessert such as this creamy yoghurt-based dessert hits the spot. At first sight, it could easily pass for a fancy breakfast pot.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

This recipe yields extra crumble mixture for the panna cotta. Store the remainder in an airtight container as a ready-made crispy treat later on.

Prep: 5 minutes
Chill: 2 hours minimum
Cook: 50 minutes
Serves: 4

For the Panna Cotta

• 2 sheets of gelatine
• 300g of whipping cream
• 60g of honey
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
• A pinch of salt
• 300g of Greek yoghurt

For the Tahini Crumble

• 80g of jumbo oats
• 50g of plain flour
• 40g of light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
• A pinch of flaky sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 50g of melted unsalted butter
• 30g of tahini
• 2½ tablespoons of honey
• 2 small bananas, sliced

Method

First, place the gelatine sheets in a ramekin of chilled water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Then, drain them and gently squeeze out remaining moisture. Put them to one side.

Place in a pan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until hot taking care not to boil. Take the pan off the stove and whisk in the squeezed gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into four small glasses and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until completely set.

Now for the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together thoroughly. Add the melted butter and tahini, then combine well so everything is evenly coated. Pour it onto the lined sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Take it out, allow to cool fully, then break it up into irregular pieces.

Next, cook the bananas: place in a pot, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and simmer until they are tender and the syrup thickens slightly syrupy. Take off the stove and set aside to cool.

Finally, top each panna cotta onto the chilled desserts. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and serve immediately.